Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Cuenca vs Lima

Cuenca vs Lima

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lima +109 Mbps Moderate / Low

Cuenca

Fernando Tapia/Unsplash

Lima

Eduardo Flores/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,294

Cuenca

$1,284

Lima

Internet

110

Mbps

219

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Cuenca

Low

Lima

Air Quality

5/5

Cuenca

5/5

Lima

Healthcare

Moderate

Cuenca

High

Lima

Population

331.9k

Cuenca

8.9m

Lima

Cuenca (Ecuador) and Lima (Peru) are both in Latin America, offering different takes on the nomad lifestyle. Here is how they compare across the metrics that matter most.

Cost of Living

Both cities sit in a similar price range — Cuenca at $1294/mo and Lima at $1284/mo — so cost alone is not a deciding factor here.

For families, Cuenca costs $2675.15625/mo compared to Lima's $2188.437491200074/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

For bandwidth-intensive work, Lima has a clear edge at 219 Mbps (#26 globally) compared to Cuenca's 110 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

Cuenca has a stronger safety profile than Lima, which may be a deciding factor for solo travelers or families.

Lima offers better healthcare infrastructure than Cuenca — an important consideration for longer stays.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Cuenca is November (around 24 degrees, 0mm rain, score 414), while Lima peaks in January (27 degrees, 0mm rain, score 454). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

CuencaLima

Nomad$1,294/mo$1,284/mo

Expat$977/mo$794/mo

Local$764/mo$625/mo

Family$2,675/mo$2,188/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

CuencaLima

City Speed

110 Mbps

219 Mbps#26

Country Speed110 Mbps200 Mbps

Environment & Health

CuencaLima

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionModerateHigh

ClimateHighHigh

Humidity8670

Quality of Life

CuencaLima

SafetyModerateLow

HealthcareModerateHigh

Monthly Weather Comparison

Cuenca

Lima

Jan

22°

3mm311

27°

0mm454

Feb

23°

7mm250

29°

0mm454

Mar

22°

3mm311

28°

0mm454

Apr

22°

8mm219

25°

0mm434

May

22°

6mm234

21°

0mm414

Jun

20°

3mm296

18°

0mm414

Jul

17°

0mm379

17°

0mm414

Aug

19°

1mm385

17°

0mm414

Sep

20°

0mm399

18°

0mm414

Oct

23°

2mm332

19°

0mm414

Nov

24°

0mm414

23°

0mm434

Dec

22°

9mm250

25°

0mm434

Who Should Choose Cuenca?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1294
Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 110 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $2675.15625/mo for families
Smaller city feel with 331.9k residents
Peak season in November — 24 degrees, score 414

Who Should Choose Lima?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1284
Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 219 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $2188.437491200074/mo for families
Major city energy with 8.9m residents
Peak season in January — 27 degrees, score 454

Overall Verdict

The data favors Lima as the more well-rounded choice. At $1284/mo versus Cuenca's $1294/mo, that is a 1% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Cuenca Lima

ItemCuencaLimaDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$10.54$3.92

63%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$34.25$22.19

35%

McMeal or equivalent combo$7.9$5.22

34%

Cappuccino (regular)$1.26$2.66

53%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2.11$2.09

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.63$3.92

33%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$1.83$0.86

53%

Water (0.33L)$0.97$0.57

41%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$0.68$1.22

44%

White bread (500g)$0.66$1.83

64%

White rice (1kg)—$1.11

—

Eggs (12)$1.99$1.81

Chicken fillets (1kg)$5.09$4.99

Beef round (1kg)$8.96$8.2

Local cheese (1kg)$10.54$6.89

35%

Apples (1kg)$1.57$1.54

Bananas (1kg)$1.46$1.02

30%

Oranges (1kg)$0.63$0.93

32%

Tomatoes (1kg)$3.09$0.98

68%

Potatoes (1kg)$0.63$0.74

15%

Onions (1kg)$1.12$0.89

21%

Lettuce (1 head)$1.05$0.72

31%

Water (1.5L bottle)$1.02$0.72

29%

Wine, mid-range bottle$3.16$7.83

60%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$0.48$1.6

70%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.11$2.33

52%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$5.48$5.22

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$1.11$0.52

53%

Monthly transport pass—$15.66

—

Taxi start (normal tariff)$3.74$2.61

30%

Taxi per 1km$0.9$1.44

37%

Taxi 1hr waiting$18.97$6.27

67%

Gasoline (1L)$1.52$1.31

14%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$20,021.16$18,274.38

Toyota Corolla (new)$21,074.9$21,697.31

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$152.79$71.32

53%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$56.2$30.91

45%

Mobile prepaid per minute—$0.18

—

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$36.88$37.19

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$10.54$12.4

15%

Cinema, 1 ticket$7.64$5.48

28%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo—$213.5

—

International primary school/yr$3,161.24$5,851.01

46%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$59.71$43.81

27%

Summer dress (chain store)$29.86$28.35

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$89.57$71.57

20%

Men's leather business shoes$77.27$68.37

12%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre—$511.24

—

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre—$349.69

—

3-bedroom apartment, city centre—$954.12

—

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre—$701.14

—

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$2,212.86$1,962.17

11%

Price per m², outside centre$1,264.49$1,483.1

15%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$1,185.46$489.76

59%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$3.52$8.29

58%

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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